Sacred Space by Albert
[[Thoughts from Albert|Back to Thoughts from Albert]] I first came across the term "Sacred Space" and its related concept of the Four Directions when I took the introductory course in shamanism taught by Dr. Don Kilhefner in 1997. Since then, whenever I've gathered together with shamans, they always "open sacred space" before doing anything else. Over the intervening years I've come to understand the meaning and purpose of opening sacred space. Fortunately, I was intuitively guided early on to focus on the Four Directions as my chosen field of study in shamanism. It took me a while to grasp the deeper meaning behind the ritual and why it is such an integral part of the process of coming together with like minded people for any creative purpose. I thank the guidance of my own totem animal, Eagle for helping me to experience these wonderful sacred realms. The Eagle is the king of the air, who sees with clarity into distant realms and is free to fly in absolute freedom above the highest snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, the Andes and the Himalayas. Shamanism is a very practical and experiential form of spirituality. If what is learned "doesn't grow corn", i.e. have a practical, real world application, then it is simply conceptual or dogmatic and of little real use in improving one's way of life and relationships with others and with the earth. It is the actual experience of the power of shamanism within you, the feeling of the ground under your feet and the sky above you, that brings you into your location in space in the present moment. It is a conscious experience of place to stand on and to move from. The experience is lasting and meaningful. All mundane concerns fade away, you are present experientially in your body and are ready to embark on a journey. Journeying is an important aspect of shamanism. It is done in a relaxed state, in deep meditation, similar to prayer, usually while lying on the ground. Shamans journey to find answers to their life questions, such as "Why am I here? Why was I born? What should I do now?" Journeying is usually accompanied by the regular beat of a shaman's drum. The frequency of the beat is the same frequency as that of Theta deep dreaming. In this receptive, relaxed state it's easy to "ride the beat of the drum" and allow your imagination to take you wherever your intention may guide you. Imagination is a gift of spirit and is to be used creatively. You initial journey is typically to contact your power animal, a creature of the lower world of shamanic journeying. Imagination is a gift and is to be used creatively. This animal is your own personal guide in the imagined lower world. An example is my Eagle. It is always an aspect of yourself, of your own innate wisdom, and you bond with it deeply because of this personal identification. The altering of perception is an essential part of all creativity and spiritual growth. It is the goal of Buddhist meditation, the "mindless" state. It was the goal of the Shaker movement at the turn of the 20th century and of the charismatic churches of today. Repetitive, ecstatic dancing is typical of most aboriginal rituals. It was also an aspect of the Hippy movement, with its use of drugs and ecstatic music, "Turn off your mind and float downstream." So when shamans gather, they as a group enter into and share this very receptive state simply by "opening sacred space", usually accompanied by drumming and chanting. It is in this place beyond space and time where one experiences oneness with the all and everything, and an understanding beyond words of the nature of the universe as well as an unconditional love far beyond anything ever previously experienced. Many have spontaneously felt this presence in nature, in forests or deserts and oceans. These precious moments are transformational. It is your personal glimpse of absolute freedom. When this opportunity arises for you, perhaps at some gathering in nature or at a shamanic ritual, if you choose you can open yourself to this miraculous presence. It is intensified by the group mind and energy of all of those present, experiencing the same thing. It is well worth any effort it may take to momentarily leave behind your old way of thinking and being and joining the millions who gone before you into this timeless realm since the beginning of consciousness. It will change your life. ______________________________________ Imagination and Sacred Space Albert Marsh 6/27/11 Many people resist going into sacred space. It is foreign and strange to them, to be feared and avoided. All attempts of the one who is initiating the experience of it to another are ignored or not understood, either because the fact that it is foreign to their beliefs, or perhaps because the mindset of the initiate is linear and rational and it seems to serve no practical purpose. In fact, sacred space does not exist in the conventional reality of our culture. It is the same with all sacred matters. Without a "leap of faith" and a true desire to transcend the limitations of one's known world and actually experience the non-linear aspects of reality, all attempts to experience the realm of sacred space and the lower world of the shaman's journey will never succeed. It is not based in the three dimensional reality that we've lived in our whole lives, it has no spatial or temporal coordinates, it exists outside of these familiar, known dimensions. It is a figment of the imagination. Dr. Don Kilhefner called his introduction to shamanism workshop "Seeing in the Dark". I've realized over the intervening years since I took the course that the world of the shaman is a world that exists only the imagination, in the dark, in the dream world of creativity and intuition as well as the realm of spiritual experience. The computer is an example of the practical use of imagination. The same can be said about space travel. The bold engineers who made these world changing things possible were dreamers. They existed in their imagination before becoming reality. Shamans are dreamers like this. Their lower world of shamanic journeying exists only in their imaginations. And yet their discoveries in these nebulous realms have had very practical applications in the three dimensional world of consensual reality, in healing, in the arts, in psychology and as a civilizing influence on society. The shamans were the priests of their aboriginal tribes, and the Zuni, Pueblo and Navajo and other tribes worldwide achieved high points in these fields. I met a Catholic priests who had never had a spiritual experience or an epiphany. Karl Jung's father was a minister who struggled all his life with questions of faith and belief. Yet his son Karl lived vividly in these dimensions as a gifted child and based his whole career on the exploration of these unseen worlds. At the time, he had to suppress his findings and discoveries as a young psychiatrist because he was so far ahead of his peers. His friendship with his mentor Sigmund Freud ended when Freud would not endorse his publication of his research. He delayed the publication of his secret journal, ”The Red Book" until after his death, because of its controversial content. This may seem off-topic to some, but it demonstrates the resistance and fear of the world of the subconscious and the unknown that Jung championed. He was fascinated by shamanism and visited the Native American reservations in Arizona and New Mexico on his trip to America, and he was recognized by the shamans there as an equal. In conclusion, anyone who chooses to successfully study shamanism must be willing to set aside everything he knows about consensual reality and be prepared to make the leap of faith that is the passport into the world of the practical imagination of shamanism.